Teen Pleads Guilty To Hitting, Killing Bicyclist In Sibley County

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 17-year-old girl accused of using Snapchat before hitting and killing a bicyclist in southern Minnesota last June has pleaded guilty to charges.

Paige Elizabeth Narveson of Belle Plaine was 16 at the time of the incident. She was charged with reckless driving and criminal vehicular homicide in the June 17 crash. Narveson pleaded guilty to reckless driving Tuesday morning and had the criminal vehicular homicide charge dismissed.

According to court documents, Narveson was driving west of Highway 25 just outside Belle Plaine when she hit 56-year-old Phillip Andrew Ilg of New Prague. Witnesses told authorities her vehicle swerved over the fog line and onto the shoulder before hitting Ilg. Authorities say she was traveling about 60 miles per hour when she hit Ilg.

She told authorities she glanced down for a second before hitting Ilg. A forensic examination shows she using Snapchat up until the collision. She opened her last Snapchat 50 seconds before calling 911.

She will be sentenced on April 11.